The Hour of Darkness
by pixelsurgeon
Summary: With Morgana hunting for Emrys, Merlin as cold as a dead man, and a dream of someone rising on the Isle of the Blessed who wants revenge,it may be far longer than an hour that darkness reigns...
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **Just saw the premiere of season 4! Sooo happy! This is set right after the episode ended. Anyways, I don't own Merlin. WARNING: Spoilers for 4.01!

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><p>Merlin slipped in and out of consciousness. His dreams were filled with people calling 'Emrys' over and over.<p>

And when he was awake, it was cold. So desperately cold. He couldn't stay awake for longer than a minute, but the cold followed him.

After a long while, he could stay awake. He slowly and shakily pulled himself to his feet, using the wall for support.

A burning torch was lying on the ground. He knelt, and put his hands in the warmth, which lasted all of 5 seconds before the flame sputtered and died.

Darkness.

"Arthur?" he called, "Gwaine? Anyone?"

No answer. Just dead silence.

Merlin started staggering away, leaning against the wall.

Finally, as he neared an alcove, he heard something move.

"Arthur?" he asked, just before a hand reached out of the alcove and dragged him in.

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><p>"Are you <em>sure <em>this is the best idea? He's alone and defenseless." Lancelot said.

"Yes, I thought of that. It was Elyan's idea, anyways. And it might work…" Arthur said.

They were outside, boiling water from a stream. They planned to dump it on Merlin, and hope it thawed him out.

"Besides," Arthur went on, "We _should _be at the Isle of the Blessed. But no, Merlin had to be a self sacrificing idiot…" He would have kept talking, but he had either gotten to angry, or too choked up. No one could really tell which.

"Has anyone thought that this could hurt him?" Gwaine asked.

"What?" Arthur asked.

"Oh, I don't know, pouring _boiling water _over him? Maybe that's it."

Arthur sighed. "I thought of that too. But what else are we going to do? Face it, he'll die no matter what."

"No," Lancelot said at once, "No, he's stronger than that."

"I hope so." Arthur said sadly.

Before the loud scream coming from within the castle.

Then silence.

"I told you so…" Lancelot said weakly.

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><p><strong>AN: **Please review!


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: **:O… YOU GUYS! You are the nicest human beings on the planet. All those alerts and faves… (though we could be doing a little better with reviews…) Anyways, here you are. I disclaimed everything last chapter.

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><p>Merlin screamed. Normally he wouldn't, because Arthur would never let him hear the end of it. But now, incredibly weak, cold, and generally hopeless, he didn't care.<p>

A cold hand went to his lips.

"They're outside, I don't want them coming in…" a familiar voice hissed.

"In an alcove... Just like old times." Merlin said.

"Stop trying to be funny. I need your help." Morgana said angrily.

"And why do you think I'd help you?"

"I'll kill Arthur." she said. Merlin flinched.

"Alright, what?"

"Who is Emrys?" she asked.

Merlin laughed, albeit shakily. "Emrys? I see you haven't been in contact with Mordred."

"What does that _mean_? I need an answer. There was a woman who told me that the one called Emrys would be my destiny, and my doom."

"He'll enjoy being your doom." Merlin said.

"WHO IS HE?" Morgana yelled.

"I thought we weren't attracting the knights."

Morgana screamed in anger, before whispering a spell. Merlin fell to the ground in pain, screaming again.

Morgana smiled.

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><p>Arthur ran as fast as he possibly could, Gwaine and Lancelot not far behind.<p>

They slowed down and walked more quietly as they entered the castle, because whatever had made Merlin scream might still be around.

"It's so cold…" Lancelot said quietly.

"What you're feeling, my friend, is death. Don't you just love it?" Gwaine said sarcastically.

"Merlin?" Arthur called. Everyone heard a female voice scream 'Who is he?' from the opposite direction, and turned around. Then a female shriek and a male scream.

Again, Arthur, Gwaine, and Lancelot ran. Just to find Morgana leaning against a wall.

"Hello." she said sweetly.

Arthur wasted no time in putting his sword to her neck.

"Where's Merlin?" he asked.

"Gone." Morgana said, "I sent him back to Camelot."

"Like hell you did." the three men said, perfectly in unison.

"Alright, I didn't. Don't worry, he probably won't feel much, considering how cold he was…"

Arthur pressed the point of his sword into her neck, drawing blood.

That's when she snapped. She screamed, and thrust all of them back, her eyes glowing. She started laughing hysterically.

"You'll never find him!" she sang, then disappeared.

"Guys…?" Gwaine said faintly.

Lancelot and Arthur looked over at him, just to see a gaping wound in his chest.

"I said I felt death…" he said, before his eyes rolled back in his head and he passed out.

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><p><strong>AN: **Man, Morgana's kinda bipolar... Anyways, please review!


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: **I haven't abandoned this! I'm sorry for taking so long.

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><p>So close…<p>

Merlin could hear them trying to save Gwaine. He could hear the other knights come in. He could hear everything.

But all he could see was a stone ceiling, and all he could feel was cold. At least the cold was numbing the pain.

He was so close…

So close.

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><p>Gwaine wasn't quite so lucky. He had no way to numb the pain.<p>

He didn't know quite how it had happened, if he had hit something when Morgana shoved them, or if she had done it purposefully.

All he knew was that it hurt like hell. Everyone else was trying to help, they really were. But you can't really help a lost cause, can you?

And as Gwaine slowly started to black out again, he heard a faint scream.

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><p>"Did you hear that?" Arthur asked, Gwaine forgotten.<p>

The knights nodded.

Arthur walked forwards, holding a torch and sword in front of him.

He saw Merlin out of the corner of his eye, walked by, and then did a double-take.

He kneeled by Merlin, dropping the torch and sword.

"Are you alright?" Arthur asked.

Merlin tried to speak, but couldn't. He just raised his eyebrows, as to say 'Does it _look_ like I'm alright?'.

"Yeah, that was a stupid question." Arthur said.

"We have to get him and Gwaine back to Camelot." Lancelot said.

Merlin shook his head violently.

"_Mer_lin." Arthur said, "You think that you're going to come with me in this state?"

Merlin paused, then nodded.

"Well, you aren't."

Merlin gave Arthur a death glare.

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><p>Morgana was dreaming again.<p>

She was dreaming of the Isle of the Blessed. She saw the veil close, and then heard a laugh, and a figure rising from the mist.

The first thing the figure said was 'Revenge'.

Morgana woke screaming.

Morgause. It had to be. Who else had died on the Isle of the Blessed?

Morgause wanted revenge on Morgana…

That was bad.

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><p><strong>AN: **That was a short chapter, sorry. I just want to say that Morgana's conclusion may or may not be right, and to please review!


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